


Cleaning Duty

by orphan_account



Category: The Good Place (TV)
Genre: Destroying a frozen yogurt store, F/F, Fluff, Scented soap, prompt, takes place during season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 12:18:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13903872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: All Eleanor Shellstrop did was walk into the frozen yogurt shop and ask Janet for one of those million-flavor scoops. That’s all.What she didn’t intend the store to do was turn all of the tables and chairs into piles of garbage.





	Cleaning Duty

All Eleanor Shellstrop did was walk into the frozen yogurt shop and ask Janet for one of those million-flavor scoops. That’s all.

What she didn’t intend the store to do was turn all of the tables and chairs into piles of garbage.

“Fork,” Eleanor spat, looking for the remains of her chair. As it turned out, she was now sitting on a pile of empty toilet paper rolls and soda bottles.

Her presence actively destroying everything and anything was starting to get tiring.

But this time, by extension, this incident wasn’t her fault. It was Tahani’s. Because Tahani just had to order a million-flavor scoop and make her want one too.

Oh. Right. Chidi was there too, standing above her and already firmly setting his jaw.

Well, she may as well try to finish her frozen yogurt.

“You’re going to have to clean this up, Eleanor.” Predictable, as always.

“Can’t I just get Janet to do it?” She complained, crossing her arms and dropping her red plastic spoon in her cup. The spoon clattered against the paper rim, exponentially louder than usual considering how quiet the store was. On cue, Janet dinged quietly from her left.

“No,” Chidi said, a little firmer than usual. “If you want to not be banished to the Bad Place and tortured for the rest of eternity, you’re going to have to clean this place by yourself. Do I have to say it again?”

“Are you sure? I have over 300 different types of soap at my fingertips. I don’t even have 300 fingers,” Janet interrupted, a note of pride in her voice.

Chidi looked Janet in the eye for a few moments, opening his mouth with a quiet gasp, and then closing it again. Several times.

“You know what?” Eleanor huffed, pushing herself to her feet and clapping Chidi on the shoulder. “I can finish it before you can decide which brand of scented trash bag I should use.”

Chidi bit his lower lip, frustrated, but with a glimmer of some more hopeful emotion in his eyes all the same. “Okay,” He said with a nod. “Janet, would you-“

“I heard a crash,” announced a voice from the door. Speak of the devil, Tahani. “Is everyone alright?” She stepped through the doorway, stupid pretty hair swishing perfectly with every step.

“Tahani! We were just about to clean up all this trash, that just, um, appeared,” Chidi greeted, gesturing wildly with his right hand around the store.

“Of course.” Tahani smiled her most charming and convincing smile. How many days did she spend in front of the mirror practicing that? “I want to help too, if you will take me, of course. ”

Eleanor weighed her options briefly. If she let Tahani help, Chidi would be pissed, and she would be too on the inside. On the other hand, an extra pair of hands, and letting someone who want to help you help might earn her some points. Eleanor grit her teeth.

“Oh-Kay.” Eleanor said begrudgingly, earning a quiet disapproving glare from Chidi. Pleased, Tahani clapped once.

“Janet, will you please bring us some soap and towels?” Tahani asked.

“Of course,” Janet replied with a ping. Which kind of soap?”

“Bar soap would be just fine.”

“And what scent?”

“Can you list all the kinds you have?”

“Don’t,” warned Eleanor, but it was too late. Janet was already off.

— — — — —

Eleanor breathed in and out slowly, taking in the smell of Amazon Lily & Rain, and resumed her scrubbing of the floor. Tahani was at work on the other side of the room, carefully picking the trash out of the piles in such a way so her hands would get the least amount of dirt on them.

Eleanor pulled her gaze up to watch for a quick minute. When she thought Tahani noticed she resumed working, snapping her head down to try to hide the amused grin on her face.

“I thought you would be a little less sensitive to dirt and that kind of shirt,” Eleanor said casually, pulling a few strands of hair back behind her ear as she cleaned. The strands slid back down in front of her gaze to spite her.

Tahani froze, still holding a sprite bottle gingerly between two carefully manicured fingers at the neck. She shrugged after a moment, blush creeping into her cheeks. “I raised money more than did the physical work.”

“But you’re dead,” Eleanor replied, waving a wet, graying towel in Tahani’s direction, flinging soapy water across the floor. “It doesn’t matter. We could probably ask Janet to clean our hands for us anyway,”

“That’s true,” Tahani hummed, dropping her bottle into an open trash bag with a thunk. “Old habits die hard, I guess.” She retrieved a half-eaten bag of chips, holding it from the top-left corner. “But I mean, it still makes me uncomfortable.”

“Just don’t think about it,” Eleanor suggested, not removing her gaze from the yellow and white floor tiles.

“Easy for you to say,” Tahani said.

Eleanor looked up at that. “What do you mean?” She said, tone making it seem more like a statement than a question.

“It’s just that..” Tahani said, struggling momentarily with what to say next. “We come from totally different backgrounds. I’ve always had a butler or chef do all the physical work for me. I should probably just learn how to do community service or something by myself, but..”

Eleanor sits up on her feet, raising both hands in front of her. “It’s cool. I totally get it.,” she said. “It feels like cheating, right?”

“It does. How did you know?” Tahani gave a small smile.

Eleanor pursed her lips, dropping her hands into her lap. “I made some… decisions during drinking night when I was alive.” She picked her rag and soap back up, arching her back over the floor and resuming her work.

“Oh,” Tahani replied quietly.

Eleanor knew, at she least was telling herself, that she shouldn’t have started talking to Tahani just now. She’s ruined the conversation, and now she’s set further back in earning her keep.

“It’s okay. I’ve made some stupid mistakes,” Tahani interrupted her thoughts, comforting. In a strange sort of way.

Now it was Eleanor’s turn to say ‘oh’, and maybe blush a little. But not too much.

“Thanks,” Eleanor manages, bringing a hand to her face and almost dropping her rag in the process. Forking bullshirt. Congratulations, beautiful. Fork. 

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if any characterization is off! I wrote this sleep-deprived and at 11pm.


End file.
